Washing machine



Sept. 1, 1931. M. A. DEFIBAUGH 1,821,544

WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 22, 1926 ttorn g5.

Patented Sept. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MARK A. DEFIBAUGH, OF PEOBIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ALTORFER BROS. COMPANY, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS WASHING MACHINE Application filed December 22, 1926. Serial No. 156,299.

This invention relates to washing machines, and especially to washing machines having combined therewith a centrifugal extractor or drier.

One of the objects of the invention is in the provision of a combined washer and centrifugal extractor, the same being structurally associated in such manner as to lessen, to a considerable degree, not only the overall dimensions of the machine, but also even more perceptibly the length thereof.

Another object is in the provision of a combined washer and centrifugal drier or extractor, the tub and drier being associated in a manner that the overall dimensions of the machine are considerably lessened by seating the extractor or drier in a concave seat provided in the wall of the tub in a manner to affect very slightly the efficiency of the operation and disposing the com trifugal drier therein.

iil another object is in the provision of a combined washer and centrifugal drier or extractor, the washer having substantially 25 vertical side walls and one of said walls l1av- 1 conen ve seat adapted to receive therein 'iln: centrifuge} drier and? easing therefor,

' l'e result that the lrl'igth of the malci lessened to a com ,rahle degree,

other object is in t provision of a combined washer and centrifugal extraw tor, said machine being fashioned in a uni tax-y summer, and with a single intcgraily formed top no, J11 for butt; the washer and the centrifuge? drier, said top portion being conne ted with the support ng structure with the resul maciiiue is prcptibie eivw that attemls Minn A further :t is in the provision of a combined i'as hing machine and centrifugal the same being assembled as a unitary re with an integrally formed top member connected to a common supporting ,utcd with a consequent perin the vibration thereof wearing and d" g opermeans and leg structure, the driving means" 5 nected to the supporting structure as to utt a conmact and sturdy ilize the combined weight to diminish the vibration that normally attends the opera tion of the centrifugal drier.

A still further object is in the provision of a combined washer and centrifugal drier, wherein said elements are assembled and driven with common supporting and driving mechanism, the weight of the supporting means for the driving mechanism being so associated with the common support as well as the combined Washer and drier as to distribute the vibration of the centrifugal extractor throughout the whole machine rather than to localize it in the extractor assembly, thereby diminishing such vibration to a minimum.

Other objects will appear in the following specification, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective of the combined washer and centrifugal extractor, portions thereof being either removed or shown in dotted lines for a clearer disclosure of the manner of inseating the tub and the manner of empioying L common and unitary sup porting strm it? for the Washer and drier; and

Fig. 2 an enlarged detail, partially broken away, showing the specific manner oi. inseating the extractor casing" and extractor in the wall of the tab In the l l ings, I have disrt sed but generaily the machined washer and centrifugal extractor and have omitted, to a considerable degree. operating port ms thereon for the sole purpose of emphasizing various features of the device, the same having been set out fuliy in the statements of the invention Other applications are copending which are directed specifically to my special centrifugal extractr, driving means therefor and other structural elements which have purposely not been shown herein; such applicathms bear t crial Numbers 156,300 and 157,088 allowed iictober 7, 1930, and November 14, tit-'11} respectively.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there is disclosed a washing machine tub which is designated 10, said tub having a,

substantially rectangular shape, with vertical side walls. Said tub is of the general type wherein some form of agitator member, not shown, is disposed in the bottom thereof and driven from below by appropriate driving mechanism, the details of which have been shown and claimed in the above mentioned co-pending applications and which form no part of the present invention.

The tub 10 has disposed adjacent thereto a centrifugal extractor or drier, designated 11. This centrifugal extractor comprises a downwardly tapered, imperforate, sheet metal basket, which is adapted to be rotated. by a driving means, not shown, disposed therebelow. The centrifugal extractor, or basket 11 is completely surrounded by a similarly tapered casing 12, said casing being connected at its upper end to a fluid chamber 13, which surrounds the upper end of the basket 12 and is adapted to receive the fluid discharged by the centrifugal action of the extractor during rotation.

One side wall of the tub 10 is provided with a concave seat 10a preferably slightly off-set from a line passing medially transversely through the longitudinal axis of the tub and such side wall, see Fig. 1, which positions the axis of the extractor or drier 11, seated therein, not only closer than is usual to the axis of the tub, but in close relation to the working side of the machine, whereby the extractor or drier is positioned for convenient use by an attendant and for the more convenient transposition of clothes or other materials from the tub to the extractor or drier and from the latter to a rinse tub or other receptacle; thus reducing considerably the working length or width of the machine. Such seat 10a, as will be understood from the disclosure, is disposed vertically in the wall of the tub and providing or forming such a seat as will receive both the casing 12 and the extractor or drier 11 therewithin; the wall of the tub forming such seat 10a is inclined downwardly and outwardly, or tapered downwardly from the top of the tub to the bottom thereof, conforming substantially to the inclination of the walls of the casing 12 and the extractor 11, as best seen in Fig. 2.

The fluid chamber 13 not only forms a means for attachment for the casing 12, but also a connecting means between the washing machine tub 10, the centrifugal extractor assembly and the common support for the combined unit. As may be clearly seen in Fig. 1, the fluid chamber 13 comprises also the top 14 of the washing machine tub, to which it is riveted in the manner shown at 15. By forming the fluid chamber and top 14 of the tub 10 in an integral manner, it is permitted to tie up the extractor assembly with the washing machine by connecting said single unit top with the supporting structure for the combined units, said support including the two legs 16 and 17, which are secured at their upper ends to the tub in the manner shown at 18, and the third support and leg 19, which is fixedly connected to the fluid chamber, as shown at 20. It is apparent that the three supporting members which also form the leg portions, are securely united, either directly with the integrally formed single unit top, as shown at 20, or substantially directly as shown at 18.

This attempt to provide a unitary structure of the combined devices is still further assisted by tying together the three supports by the three brace members 21, 22 and 23. The combined units are now connected in an integral manner at the top, as well as in a fixed manner therebelow. This combining of the two units by distributing the weight over a common supporting structure permits the suspension of the driving means which. as far as outward appearances are concerned, includes the electric motor 24 and the gear or driving mechanism housing .25 below the washing machine tub and the centrifugal extractor. In order to make use of the weight of these elements. they are hung below the washing machine tub and are supported at the opposite end by being attached, as at 26, to the vertical support 19.

It is thought apparent from the above that the present peculiar unitary structure permits such disposition of the weighted driving mechanism as to utilize same in a manner to distribute the vibration of the excessively high speed centrifugal extractor throughout the entire machine and not to localize same, as has been heretofore done, solely or substantially so, in the centrifugal extractor or drier itself.

Inasmuch as the present application is directed rather specifically to the general structural assembly that comprehends the combination of a washing machine and centrifugal drier and to the seating of the drier in a seat in the wall of the tub, and thereby reduce the overall dimensions and decrease the length of the machine, a detailing of the operation of the machine is not thoi ght necessary other than to say that the washing is adapted to be done in the tub and the drying in the centrifugal extractor. the washed clothes being placed in the basket 11 and the moisture therein extracted by the centrifugal action during the rotation thereof, the tapering of the basket forcing the extracted fluid upwardly and out of the basket. It is thought apparent that the inseating of the tub permits a considerable reduction in the size of the machine without interfering perceptibly with the operation of the washer or the ellicicncy thereof, and that the integrally formed top portion and unitary structure assembly, with the disposition of the weighty driving mechanism be low the washer and centrifugal drier and connection of same with the unitary support, results in the distribution of the vibration that attends the centrifugal extractor throughout the whole machine.

With respect to the fashioning of the con bined washer and centrifugal extractor, it will be noted that the combined washer and centrifugal extractor are assembled in such manner that the width of the machine is exactly the same as a conventional washing machine, and while the overall dimensions are somewhat greater, nevertheless there is presented one straight side to permit ready placement of the machine in a comparatively small area. In addition, the straight side permits immediate ad'acency of rinse and bluing tub, wherein, a ter the rinsing operation has been completed, the machine may be moved into position that the drier section may be brought into adjacency with respect to the bluing tub.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the type set forth, a main receptacle, having a concave seat, a secondary receptacle having a part thereof conformably engaged in said seat, a unitary top plate common to and overlying both of the receptacles and having openings therein for access to the respective receptacles, means to rigidl secure the top plate to each of the receptac es, a pair of legs secured to the main receptacle, a single third leg secured to top plate beyond the secondary receptacle and at a point diametrically opposite to the seat, and means connected to the main receptacle and to the third leg and connected to the bottom of the secondary receptacle. 7 2. In a, device of the type set forth, a main receptacle, a secondary receptacle secured to the main receptacle, a unitary top plate common to and overlyin each of the receptacles and having openings communicating with the res ective receptacles, means to rigidly secure t e top plate to each of the receptacles, a sup orting structure having connection with he bottom of the main receptacle and having a part connected to one end of the top plate, and means secured to the bottom of the main receptacle and to the bottom of the secondary receptacle and connected to said part of the supporting structure which i is connected to said top plate.

-3. In a device of the type set forth a main receptacle having a concave seat in a wall thereof, a secondary receptacle conformably engaged in said seat, a unitary top plate common to and overlying each of the receptacles and having openings communicating with each thereof, means to rigidly secure the top plate to each of the recep tacles, and a supporting means for the struc' ture connected to the bottom of the main receptacle and connected to the top plate at a point heyond the secondary receptacle and diametrically opposite to the seat.

4. In a device of" the type set forth, a main receptacle having a concave seat in a wall thereof, a secondary receptacle conformahly engaged in said seat, a unitary top plate for the receptacles common to and overlying each thereof, and having openings communicating with each receptacle, means to rigidly connect the top plate to each receptacle and a supporting means connected to the bottom of the main receptacle and to the top plate.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature. 4

MARK A. DEFIBAUGH. 

